Based on the picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Tiny and Very Hungry Caterpillar toy is a favourite for discovering new textures. The caterpillar can also be easily attached to a car seat or a pram, so your baby will be entertained on the go too.
How did this product make your life easier?
Natalie: It is a mummies dream in that it keeps baby entertained for a huge amount of time! It also has an attachment ring meaning you can attach it to a swing chair, car seat or buggy. My 8-month baby was particularly fond of the little purple antenna which both got suckled on until they were soaked. Even the little brown feet are perfectly grabbable for tiny pincer fingers, the dangling leaf is also good for teething baby as they can chomp and nibble it nicely.
Padita: This product makes my life much easier as a mum. It has multiple features so it entertains the baby for a long period of time. It is very transportable and can clip onto the pram and the car seat so we can take it out with us and have one toy rather than multiple toys. It is brightly coloured and has textured areas as well as being useful as a teether.
Leigh: This product means that I can keep my baby entertained whilst out on walks in her buggy or car journeys in her car seat. The fact that there are many different elements to the toys means that it can sustain her interest in a fair amount of time. The addition of two different types of teether is great for calming teething babies. The tags/ chimes/ squeaky toys and crinkly patches are all great at aiding the baby’s sensory development.
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Amy: I would recommend this product to other mums due to its portability - it clips on to virtually anything- prams, car seats etc and because of how lightweight and foldable it is- so easy to fit into a handbag, changing bag, etc. It is also really colourful and grabbed my daughter’s attention from the moment I first gave it to her. The Tiny and Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Toy has lots of different sensory play features (she particularly loved playing with the little fruit tags on the top and chomping on the leaf teether) and given it has all these features, I found I didn’t need to carry around other teethers- everything she needed was included on one toy clipped onto the pram right in front of her- perfect for when you’re in a rush or can’t find a teething toy handy!
Natalie: The product is perfect for all the babies senses as has lots of fun colours, little shapes and textures that bewilder the baby and the ring in the middle is good as it easy for baby to hold and give it a good shake, as well as lots of little shapes for the baby to practice grabbing and nibble on. It has been well designed and looks and feels good quality.
Georgina: It’s well made and nice colours. Not as bright as some other baby toys, so if you like a more palatable colour scheme then this is for you! It has a nice teether attached and one of the segments has a hard ball in it, another has crinkly material and another is a squeaker. So ticks most of the boxes for entertainment value.
Would you choose this product to win?
Bethan: I think this product has been elegantly designed, with a mixture of attractive, soft fabrics, and real thought has gone into the design. Having a larger toy that can fold up easily is useful (the teething toy in the middle allows it to be easily folded) and the pram ring is really helpful and definitely makes life easier! There has clearly been good attention to detail when making this product and this shows when it is used.
Charlotte: As mentioned it is a very attractive toy and instantly recognisable from the much-loved story. It is appealing to adults and babies and is functional as well as nice to look at. There are a lot of car/pram toys out there, we have a few Lamaze ones but this caterpillar is a lot cuter! I have had a lot of compliments on it whilst out and about. It also doesn’t dangle so low that it hits them in the face or obstructs the view out.
Amy: I think The Tiny and Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Toy is a great product to buy from birth. My little one was 7 months old when we tested it but at that age, I felt she needed a little bit more from it- I think it would be great for babies up until they are about 6 months old. It looks really well made and the colours are very attractive to little ones - lots of other babies have tried to pick it up at mum and baby groups! A lot of sensory features are included in one toy so it saves having to buy several toys/ teethers. I already had two toys attached to her pram but now I really only need The Tiny and Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Toy. It’s great that a character has been brought to life from the picture books so they can start to associate with the book. It’s also nostalgic as I remember the caterpillar from when I was young and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar! If you are looking for a multi-purpose toy and your baby is 0-6 months then this would be perfect.
What changes would you make to this product?
Leigh: If I could change one thing about this product it would be the attachment ring (for a buggy bar/ car seat) placement. The attachment ring is currently sited on the wooden teether bar in the middle of the activity toy. As the activity toy is quite long this means that when it is attached to the buggy bar or car seat handle it tends to fold in half making the toy a little more difficult to play with as some of the elements are no longer visible to the baby. This is particularly noticeable when attached to the car seat handle above the baby. It is not quite as obvious when attached to the buggy bar as the toy lies across the baby’s legs and therefore the folding is not as noticeable. I feel that 2 attachment rings (one at either end of the caterpillar) would ensure that the toy remains unfolded when attached to the car seat handle/ buggy bar and this would mean that baby still has access to all of the individual components of the toy.
Padita: There is a plastic ring that is attached to the main wooden ring. This is made from a poorer quality than the other maternity and does not secure well. It is quite flimsy and we had to reinforce it so that it could be used over and over. This is the only feature I do not like and would change in this product.
Charlotte: No plastic would be good in the current climate with the awareness of the damage it’s doing. The middle loop is wooden which is great, but there is a plastic hook. Unsure if there is a suitable alternative to this….but I can’t think of anything else as we love it!